COLLEGE FOOTBALL

COLLEGE FOOTBALL; Rix and Florida State Stop Unbeaten Maryland

By CHARLIE NOBLES

Published: October 28, 2001

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Oct. 27—
Florida State quarterback Chris Rix said with a smile that it turned out to be a good thing today when Maryland linebacker E. J. Henderson knocked him out of the game for a series with a head injury.

''I don't know if it knocked some sense in me or not, but it obviously calmed me down,'' Rix said after throwing five touchdown passes as the Seminoles ended Maryland's hopes of a perfect season, 52-31, before 82,565 at Doak Campbell Stadium.

''I sometimes have too much energy,'' Rix said. ''But when I went back in today, I was much more focused and composed.''

Maryland (No. 9 in the New York Times computer ranking and No. 10 in the Associated Press poll) came in 7-0 over all and 5-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and was a new threat to Florida State's A.C.C. dominance. The Seminoles (5-2, 4-1) had shown vulnerability with lopsided losses to North Carolina and Miami.

But Maryland's first-year coach, Ralph Friedgen, did not anticipate his team's incurring four turnovers, three of which led to touchdowns. ''The thing that's disappointing is that you get close to a real good team and you want to win so bad it hurts,'' he said.

Friedgen also did not count on Rix, a redshirt freshman who has struggled in replacing the Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke. Rix completed 15 of 24 passes for 350 yards.

''Chris needed this game more than we did,'' the senior flanker Atrews Bell said. ''Well, we needed it, too. We don't win this game, we have no shot at a B.C.S. game. We don't win, the dynasty stops today. We start thinking about playing in the Weedwhacker Bowl.''

Down by 14-0 about six minutes before halftime, Florida State (No. 19 A.P.) used four straight completions for 58 yards by Rix to score. The payoff came on a 16-yarder to flanker Talman Gardner, who would catch two more touchdown passes. Thirteen seconds later, the Seminoles tied the game on linebacker Michael Boulware's 23-yard interception return for a touchdown.

On the Seminoles' next chance, Rix hit flanker Craphonso Thorpe for 51 yards and then found Gardner for a 9-yard touchdown and a 21-14 lead. Maryland slowed Florida State's momentum, however, when Nick Novak's 51-yard field goal attempt eased over the crossbar on the final play of the half.

Maryland was in control of the game early. It scored on the third series, with fullback James Lynch breaking free for a 65-yard run.

A Florida State gamble backfired on its next series. On fourth-and-11 at its 43, punter Chance Gwaltney's pass was overthrown. Tailback Marc Riley finished Maryland's ensuing 13-play drive with a 1-yard run.

The Terrapins also took an early third-quarter lead at 24-21 on Bruce Perry's 8-yard run. They tied it at 31-31 when Shaun Hill guided an 82-yard drive, scoring from the 1.

But Florida State kept coming. Three of Rix's touchdown passes came in the second half, in which the Seminoles outscored Maryland, 31-14. On a piece of tape on his left wrist, he had written, ''No turnovers.''

Rix had none once he returned from the injury, a stark contrast to Maryland's turnover-plagued day.

''There's no telling what would have happened if they hadn't turned the ball over,'' Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden said.